BUCCANEER POPULARITY; Get used to it.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the most popular NFL franchise at the moment. The team and all of its mates have been red hot since winning the Super Bowl and there is no end in sight. They have gone from #29 to #1 in NFL merchandise sales. Vita Vea giving is giving interviews on the morning football show. Ndamukong Suh is arm-wrestling Warren Buffet and parsing out financial advice. Devin White is ‘Mic’ed up’ for games now. Five of the team’s games are prime-time National TV. The team or its players. Are the daily feature lead-in for Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpes ‘Undisputed’ and Stephen A. Smiths ‘First Take’. Days after the Dallas game,  while perusing the net, I came across a podium interview of Antonio Brown. Antonio was on the mike handling it like a pro. Do you hear me? Like a PRO. Gronk is making every commercial a success.

What is going on here? all of a sudden the nation cannot get enough of the Buccaneers. The country, looking for a bunch of likable, loveable characters. Are in simpatico with the Bucs. Those who are envious of the success or their popularity still tune in to look for something negative. It gets even weirder. New England Patriots fans are in a love/hate/jealousy relationship with Tampa Bay Buccaneer fans. They love Tom Brady, they hate Buccaneer fans and they are jealous of Tampa Bays’ success. The eyes of New Orleans are trained on the Bucs. The Saints were once the power of the division for a long time. Now they have been dethroned and are looking up at the Bucs and they don’t like it. In this crazy whirlwind of a ride. There is something for everyone

For the more mature and body, there is no-holds-barred Bruce Arians. Arians is direct and off-the-cuff, like most over the age of 50. Arians has realized what life is about. Time. So get out of his way because he doesn’t have time to explain. You have his two assistant coaches. Bowles and Leftwich. Cerebral and serious men, who, unlike Arians, show few emotions. They calculate, contemplate then generate decisive plans of attack. 

The Defense is a who’s who of who you would want on defense. Ndamukong Suh Vita Vea, William Gholston, Pierre Paul, Shaqil Barret, Lavonte David, Devin White. The offense is more of the same. Tom Brady, Antonio Brown, Mike Evans, Leonard Fournette, Chris Godwin, Rob Gronkowski. There is talk of the team going to and winning the Super Bowl. With each win during the season expectations and popularity will increase. So won’t the value of the franchise. This is going to be fun for everyone